Latest News – September 29

At Your Service! The new O’Reilly Auto Parts store opened for business on Saturday, Sept. 27. Their helpful staff is ready to help you with your auto part needs; (Left to right) Parts Specialist – Andrew Ault, Manager – Brennan Thomas, and Delivery Specialist Greg Quinn. The store is open daily and located on Hwy 24N across from Safeway.

Longboarders Blazing the Belt in Leadville!

The 7th Annual Blaze The Belt Longboard Competition was held on Leadville’s Mineral Belt Trail earlier this month, Sept 20-21.

Forty competitors took on the Blaze the Belt Challenge in Leadville on September 21. This was year seven for the longboard event. Photo: Julia Martinez.

It was a big weekend, but first off are the results from the time-trial which took place on Sunday. Forty competitors took to the Mineral Belt Trail starting at California Gulch, heading west, eventually popping out at the finish line, adjacent to Stringtown.

Leadville homeboy Tanner Herron,15, has been practicing his longboard form and speed all summer at the new Huck Finn Skate Park. Herron placed in the middle of the pack in the time-trial competition. Photo: Julia Martinez.

Five of those competitors choose the Luge, one of then – Kelso Kubat – even took a podium spot in third place, with a time of 15:02.4. But in the end, the wheeled-vehicle of choice, the longboard, ruled the course and the top two podium spots. First place went to Dave Angelus, 28, at 14:30.0, followed closely by second place winner Chris Cade, 26, at 14:37:7. For Full Results: LINK.

This year’s race had only three females and over all participation numbers held steady, however still lagging from a record 80+ in 2012. Race organizer Donny Connor explained that he’s having a challenging time finding a weekend when there isn’t other longboard events going on.

The crowds grow every year, for Leadville’s Blaze The Belt. Photo: Julia Martinez.

“They’re taking all my September dates,” Connor said in an interview with Leadville Today. Regardless, the massive crowd of skateboards who were in town on Saturday certainly confirmed the sport’s popularity. The recently opened Huck Finn Skate Park was flooded with some of the best riders in the region, putting on a show of tricks and jumps, as they vied for a variety of great prizes. There was a lot of good loot doled out at Huck Finn Skate Park, as Blaze The Belt competitors celebrated the new recreation facility.

“We had a lot of great prizes this year,” stated Connor. The annual event also expanded this year to include a Friday night Skate Scavenger Hunt, sponsored in part by Dr. Ryde, Leadville’s Legendary Skate Shop at 121 E. 9th Street. Teams were given clues to various treasures to be found around Leadville.

From the “Standie” to the “Coleman Slide,” tricks were made and prizes were awarded at the 7th Annual Blaze The Belt in Leadville. Photo: Julia Martinez

Of course, the whole Blazing Party culminated as usual with the After-Party on Sunday at Tennessee Pass Café in downtown Leadville, with live music by local favorites, Leadville Cherokee. Cash and prizes were doled out to the top 3 finishers in each category.